love boat captain

maddrummer

can somebody please help me describe the greatness of this song!?

thatgirl

its a very sweet song...

Pearl Jam and toast

the most solid overall song on one of pearl jam's most consistant albums.

PatrickBateman

The one song I like but cannot stand the name of

edvedder5150

I like how the song starts out slow and quiet and then builds up in intensity. At the end in winds down slowly and quietly again. As far as lyrics, one of the best and most positive Ed has ever written.

E.Bloom

The song is great..And I see it as a song for the men and women who were killed in Denmark..Wonderful tune:)

But,I agree that the name of the song is..hmm..not Pearl Jam in a way..

Man_Of_The_Hour

I especially like the structure of the song, intro and outro and one big great chorus in between. And very thoughtful and contemplative lyrics to go with it.

coutchboy

Here are my thoughts on Love Boat Captain, and although they may not have anything to do with the thoughts, mood, or intentions that Pearl Jam had in mind--just the fact that we're "thinking" and "discussing" one of their tunes, and the fact that their tune itself is thought provoking--is in keeping with the spirit of what Peal Jam has evolved into over the years. Therefore, I'm sure they would approve of my thoughts, even if I was way off the mark. With that qualification, here goes:

Love Boat Captain is an Ed-driven tune in the sense that his choice of lyrics, they way he uses his voice as an instrument, and the interaction of his signing has in the context of the music is nothing short of brilliant. To be sure, this is one of those songs that makes Pearl Jam, PEARL JAM.

Good bands, in a contemporary setting, are lucky if they have the staying power to make three or four albums, and out that entire catalog of three or four albums if they come up with one Love Boat Captain, they can call themselves fortunate, and call it a career too. Pearl Jam, on the other hand, makes a Love Boat Captain at least once an album. And by the way, this has nothing to do with making hits, rather we're talking about writing and performing a song that touches people in a deeper way than most others--for whatever reason. Simply stated, the kind of tune that makes the hair on your arms stand when you hear (listen to) it.

The song opens with Ed asking, "Is this just another day...this god forsaking place?" As if he were not only the narrator, but also the first mate on the boat. The First mate, in this context, is always wise enough to understand what questions to ask because he sees what's going on -- but he doesn't understand why the course is set a particular way because the facts and observations he has tells him to go another way. He asks the Captain for the answers because he is the one who set the course and he is the wise one. The kicker is that the First mate knows sometimes the Captain doesn't always reveal what he knows because he is purposely testing his crew.

The music is subtle at this moment as if the boat was setting out to sea--guitar gently strumming, Boom playing the Hammond in a subtle and appropriate manner--and sometimes live, Matt will be laying out the pace of course with continuous 8th notes on his high-hat. As the music gets fuller and Ed sounds more desperate (again, his lyrics, how he sings them, and how they play out along side the music) the course is set.

Ed reminds us of what John Lennon told another generation, "All you need is Love" the message get's enthralled in a stormier sea. Perhaps this is done because of the tragedy of what happened at the concert in Denmark--clearly the reference later in the song about losing, "nine friends we'll never know" is--but perhaps the message is even broader--the Captain needs to show us a better way through the storm because we are losing a grip on what loving each other is all about--no matter who we are, what race, religion, sex, or political party, or economic bracket. (Again these are my thoughts, so I could be way off base).

Now as moving as Eddy sounds through the ebbs and flow of this song, or the highs and lows of the waves, if the music behind his singing was shit, than it would be a wasted effort. Again, this is why we are PEARL JAM lifers. Mike, Stone, Jeff fill the waters of sound with matched intensity, as does Boom--but none of them goes overboard (sorry for the bad puns).

Now I'm going to show my bias here because I'm going to single out the inventive and tasteful drumming of Mr. Cameron because he is the best of both worlds on this song: his groove is smooth and inviting, but his fills and sticking patterns are slick and adventurous. He is the kind of drummer that makes you either practice harder to become the best or he makes you throw your kit away because you will never be as good as he is.

Any how, Love Boat Captain is wicked tune and should we expect anyhting less from these guys at this point!